York Hall of Fame inductions slated for Friday
Five new inductees into the York School District Athletic Hall of Fame will be recognized during halftime of Friday’s York-Northwestern football game.
“We’re excited about the group that will be inducted this year,” said YCHS athletic director Steve Boyd. “They are outstanding athletes and outstanding people.
Boyd said York started this program about 10 years ago to recognize all of its athletes, “not only from YCHS but all of our schools, the traditions and pride in their schools.”
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are Stan Byers, Jefferson High School; Ed Yarborough, York High School; Taylor Barrett Cook and Johnny “Bud” Brown, York Comprehensive High School; and Johnny Weeks, Hickory Grove High School.
▪ Byers, who lives on South Congress Street in York, is a member of the Jefferson High School class of 1970. He played basketball at York High School in 1968 and 1969 and at Jefferson High School in 1969 and 1970.
Byers attended South State College, where he was he was a two-year starter and letterman for the school’s wrestling team. He was voted Most Improved Wrestler his junior year at S.C. State.
Byers, who coached high school football and basketball for 33 years at Gaffney and Dorman high schools, was a member of the 2001 Dorman state football championship coach staff.
Byers is a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, a lifetime member of the Western York County branch of the NAACP, charter member and president of the York Area Optimist Club and a member of White Hill Masonic Lodge No. 462.
He is a basketball official for the Catawba River Basketball Association. Byers spends his spare time visiting nursing homes and supports other York community projects.
▪ Yarborough, who lives on Old York Road, was a member of the York High School class of 1951. He was a three-sport athlete for the Green Dragons, participating in football, basketball and baseball. He lettered four years in each sport.
Yarborough was an all-region tight end for the Green Dragons and started at quarterback his senior year. He was voted most valuable player in football and baseball his senior year.
During his junior year, Yarborough scored in every game, hauling in touchdown passes from quarterback Bill Shillinglaw.
Yarborough was voted most likely to succeed in 1951 and played in the 1951 high school all-star game in Columbia.
After graduation, he began volunteer work, coaching football with Tommy Oakes. He is a lifetime member of the Lions Club and is a member of ARP Presbyterian Church.
Yarborough has served as a baseball and basketball official and had a successful career with the New York Power Authority, retiring in 1989.
He is the father of five daughters and three grandchildren.
▪ Cook, who lives in Monks Corner, is a member of the York Comprehensive High School class of 2006. She had a record-breaking career as a member of the YCHS golf team, earning 4A all-state and player of the year honors.
Other accolades included 2005 4A girls’ golf state champion, 2004 4A co-champion, 2004-05 girls’ golf Palmetto Preview Tournament Champion and 2005 High School Girls’ Cavalier Tournament Champion.
She won eight Junior Golf championships, qualified and competed in eight USGA assignments, was named all-region, 3-AAA and AAAA Player of the Year, 2004-05; and was the only YCHS female golfer to play for the boys’ golf team. She was named 2005 Beth Daniels Player of the Year and was the 2006 YCHS class valedictorian.
As a member of the YCHS boys’ golf team, she was named MVP her junior and senior years. Her senior year, she was nominated to represent YCHS as the female Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee.
Cook received a full athletic golf scholarship at the University of South Carolina, where her accomplishments included 2010 SEC Community Service Award, 2008-09 SEC Spring Sports Academic Honor Roll, 2007, 2008 and 2009 National Golf Coaches All-American Scholar and a member of the 2007 SEC freshman academic team.
▪ Brown, who lives in Gastonia, N.C., is a member of the YCHS class of 1979. Brown was a running back for YCHS.
His career included 700 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 988 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior and 1,998 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior year, increasing his career totals to 3,696 yards rushing and 41 touchdowns.
He was voted all-region in 1978 and 1979, named Offensive Player of the Week for 10 games in 1978 and 1979, was 1978 and 1979 Most Valuable Player and was All-Area Player of the Week 10 times in his high school career.
Brown capped his career as a 1979 North-South Football All-Star participant.
▪ Weeks, who lives with his wife Anita in Cheraw, is a member of the Hickory Grove High School class of 1965.
Weeks was a star basketball player at Hickory Grove High, averaging 20 points a game for the Cardinals. He was the leading scorer for more than half of the games his senior year.
The Cardinals won the 1964 and 1965 region championship in basketball, and Weeks was named all-region his junior and senior year.
He scored more than 1,000 points in his high school career and was named to the 1965 all-state team. He also was selected to play in the 1965 North-South All-Star Basketball Game.
Weeks received a basketball scholarship to play for Spartanburg Methodist, where he lettered for two years.
This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 2:58 PM with the headline "York Hall of Fame inductions slated for Friday."